Princess Furball
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: A Zechs and Noin version of a traditional fairy tale.


Author's note: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters. This story is an adpatation of a Cinderella story. I'm only a student; why would you want to sue me?

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Princess Furball 

Once upon a time, there was a young princess. She was quite beautiful with raven hair and violet eyes. She also quite lonely for her mother had died in childbirth and her father paid little attention to her.

Realizing how lonely her charge was, Noin's nurse let her play with the servants' children. Never forgetting the girl was a princess, her nurse arranged for lessons in dance and etiquette and other things a princess must know. The servant's too taught Noin, so she became clever, strong, and capable as she grew older.

Now when Noin was nineteen, her father promised her hand in marriage to a cruel lord in exchange for fifty wagons of gold. When Noin hear of this, she begged her father to reconsider. He refused, so she came up with a clever plan.

"Before I can marry," she told him, "I must have three dresses, one as violet as the twilight, one as gold as the dawn, and one as silver as the moonlight. I must also have a cloak made from the furs of all the animals in your kingdom."

"There," she thought, "he will never be able to fulfill those demands."

But immediately her father sent for the finest weavers and seamstresses in the kingdom. He also sent the royal huntsmen into the forest to kill a thousand animals to make the cloak. When they were finished, the king laid them out before Noin and told her that her wedding would be tomorrow.

That night Noin packed each of the dress into an walnut shell along with three treasures of her mothers: a silver ring, a silver key, and a silver thimble. Then she donned servant's clothing, covered her hair, and wrapped herself in the cloak. Dressed like this, Noin slipped out of the palace. After walking for hours in the snow, she curled up at the base of a tree and fell asleep.

During the night Noin had crossed over into a neighboring country. The young king of the country was out hunting in the woods. His huntsmen came to him with news of a marvelous creature with a coat of many furs. King Zechs ordered them to capture it alive if possible. When they went to capture her, Noin awoke and cried out, "Please don't hurt me! I have no home. Have pity on me, and take me with you."

"All right Furball," laughed Duo. "At the very least you can tend the fires for the cook."

Duo and the other huntsmen took her to a small room in the servants' quarters and told she could live there, and she was to report to the cook for her orders. The cook was a gruff man and ordered her to deal with the fires. His second in command was a young woman named Lita. She made sure that Noin, who was now known as Furball, got enough to eat and got to do something else besides tend the fires every once in awhile.

One day Furball heard that the King was holding a ball. She begged the cook to let her go watch the guest, but he refused. Lita told Furball that she would take her chores if Furball would come back in half an hour and make the soup, so Lita could watch guests herself.

As soon as Lita took over for her, Noin flew to her little room. She washed her face and combed her short hair then removed the violet gown from its walnut shell. When she arrived at the palace entrance, the guards thought she was a foreign princess and let her in.

In the ballroom she found King Zechs and his friend Duke Treize involved in a game of chess. Zechs seemed stuck, but Noin saw a move. Without thinking she reached out and moved his bishop.

"Checkmate."

Both of the men looked up at her; she blushed. Then Zechs smiled and asked her to dance. But when the dance ended, Noin realized her half hour was almost up. She rushed back to her rom and changed into her servant's clothes, smudged her face with soot, and became Furball again.

She made a soup that had been the speciality of the head cook at in her father's castle. While ladling it into bowls, she dropped her mother's silver ring into the King's bowl before it was served.

When Zechs found the ring, he sent for the maker of the soup. The head cook came and claimed he had made it. When Zechs commented that he had never tasted this type of soup before, the cook admitted the truth and sent for Lita. Lita, upon learning why she was wanted, sent Furball to the King.

"You mad the soup?" Zechs asked.

She nodded not trusting her voice.

"Do you know anything about this ring?"

Noin just shook her head. Zechs sighed and dismissed her. The next night Noin again traded duties with Lita. This time she wore the gold dress once she had cleaned up. Zechs was watching for her, and the moment she entered the ballroom he was by her side. They shred several dances before Noin realized her time was almost up and disappeared into the crowd.

She resumed her identity as Furball and returned to the kitchen. This time she slipped the silver key into the King's bowl. Again she was summoned, and again she denied knowledge of what was found in the soup. But now Zechs had suspicions and began to formulate a plan.

The next night Noin changed into the silver gown and headed to the ballroom. Zechs was waiting for her and immediately swept her out onto the dance floor. He had deliberately instructed the musicians to play the longest pieces they could find. While they were dancing, Zechs slipped the silver ring onto one of her fingers.

Noin finally dashed away realizing she was out of time. She did not have enough time to change clothes, so she simply covered her hair with a kerchief, smudged her face with soot, and pulled one the fur cloak. This time she dropped the silver thimble into the King's bowl.

Instead of questioning her when she was summoned, Zechs took her hand in his looking for the ring. When he found it, Zechs puled her cloak off revealing the silver dress. Knowing the ruse was over, Noin sighed and removed the kerchief from her hair. Zechs smiled, "Milady would you please grace us with your name?"

Noin blushed, "I'm Noin Lucia Salinas your majesty. I go by Noin."

"And it's Zechs Princess."

Her eyes widened as he correctly gave her title. He shocked her even more when he took both her hands in his and said, "I know this seems rather sudden, but ever since I met you, I've known you were my love. Would you do me the great honor of allowing me to marry you?"

Noin lost her ability to speak but nodded as a brilliant smile spread across her face. She had been sweet on the King ever since she had first seen him from afar, and she had fallen in love with him at the balls. Zechs grinned and leaned down to kiss her despite the soot on her face.

They were married two days later, and Lita, who had been promoted to head cook, provided the wedding cake. And Noin and Zechs lived happily ever after.

Owari (the end)


End file.
